This sad and thoughtful story explores multiple universes, life choices, and how those choices affect our reality through the eyes of a 60-year-old man grieving the loss of his wife shortly after his retirement.

Since his wife’s death, he thought about committing suicide six times and regretted not succeeding. Starting with a visit to a used bookstore where his wife used to work, and the unusual books he brought home, he would learn later that no matter how many times you kill yourself, you can never die. Each death, however, alters his life in very strange ways.

I’ve read several of Robert Charles Wilson’s stories and love the fully-realized characters and their varied emotions and experiences brought to life.